The Mirror
by ElphabaROCKS
Summary: "Not your reflection, but your heart's desire." Sneaking through the corridors at night, the Marauders find a room containing a very mysterious mirror...


The Mirror

"Hurry up Peter, you're going to get us caught!" whispered Sirius, holding up a part of the invisibility cloak for the boy to get under.

Peter scurried over, hands full of green robes. He smiled proudly at the other boys before slipping next to Sirius and becoming invisible to the world.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Remus worriedly, eying the clothing.

"Mooney, have we even given you a reason to doubt us?" asked James.

Remus wisely didn't answer.

They hadn't gone five feet before hearing the clomping of feet just around the corner. James whipped out the map and gasped. "It's Professor Reed!"

They all froze, hardly daring to breath as the old witch limped around the corner, a permanent scowl on her face. The Professor stopped a few feet away and examined a tapestry on the wall.

"As if she couldn't just go look at it during the day time." Sirius muttered. James elbowed him hard in the stomach.

Very quietly, they tiptoed down the hall and slipped into the first door they saw, leading into a very dark, musty room. Remus shut the door carefully behind them and they threw off the cloak.

"All right, that was way too close. Next time we-"

"Woah, what's this?" said Sirius, illuminating his wand and going towards the far wall. An old chest sat there, filled with what looked like shriveled hands.

James looked around. "I wonder when the last time this room was used was."

"Not in the last decade judging by this dust," said Remus, blowing some off a cracked crystal ball.

"Hey guys, come look at this!" came Peter's voice from a corner. The small boy pushed out a large, grand-looking mirror from the shadow's depths.

"Well would you look at that," Sirius laughed. "I guess we keep you around for something after all Wormtail."

"What's that written on it?" asked James, walking over to the mirror.

"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi" read Remus. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Peter jumped, trying to see the words better. "I don't know, but-" Suddenly he stopped, catching sight of himself in the mirror.

Peter was still Peter, that was for sure. However, he had changed immensely. No longer short and stout, he was, in the mirror, tall and thin. In one hands he held a flying golden snitch that fluttered merrily, in the other was a wand, casually spinning and performing elaborate tricks and magic. He wore a triumphant smile on his face.

Peter glanced down to see if he had indeed changed. Unfortunately, nothing was different; the magic was in the mirror. He looked up at it in awe.

"What's wrong with you Wormtail? Like your appearance?" asked James.

"Guys, you have to see this. Come here and look!" he shouted.

Sirius strode over and stood next to Peter. "I don't see anything..."  
>"Look like I am, right in front of it." Peter moved over quickly and Sirius stood in his place.<p>

At first he just stared at it skeptically but then his eyes got huge and he spun around wildly. For in the mirror, the room was not empty as he saw it, but rather filled with people. Sirius took a step forward and looked at it closer.

He recognized very few of the faces, most being friendly and smiling but blurred. The ones he could see clearly, though, were not unwelcome. His older cousin Andromeda stood there smiling, her new baby Nymphadora in her arms and Ted Tonks at her side. Nearby them stood Uncle Alphard, smiling kindly next to James' parents and the rest of the Marauders.

He quietly swallowed a lump in his throat looking around at his family, his true family.

"Well, don't you see me?" asked Peter excitedly. "I'm standing there and..."

Sirius shook his head, unable to say anything.

"Hey! I want to see what this is all about. Let me see!" said James. He wedged himself in between Sirius and Peter, both of whom's eyes were still fixed on the glass, trying to hold onto the visions they saw.

James couldn't believe his eyes. There, standing at his side with her head on his shoulders, was Lily Evans. She was grinning at him, something that never happened, and reached up to kiss him on the cheek.

It was amazing, whatever this magic was. Anything that could bring Lily and him together must be a great wizard's doing.

Or a Dark one, he reminded himself.

"Guys, I don't think we should be looking at this." he said.

"Why not Prongs? Seems fine to me." said Sirius.

"I don't know, I get the feeling that something like this is dangerous. If you think it's Dark Magic, it probably is. That's what Dad always said."

Seeing the worry on James' face, Sirius sighed. "I guess you're right. We'd better put it back."

"But what about Mooney?" Peter asked.

Remus looked up from the desk that he had been sitting on. He had observed his friend's reactions to the mirror and was curious but, like James, wary of it.

"Well Remus?" James asked. "Do you want to look?"

He knew he shouldn't, that it was probably a really bad idea. However, he really did want to see whatever they were all so amazed by.

"Yes, I suppose so. Then, we have to get out of here before a teacher catches us."

Remus got up and cautiously approached the mirror. Looking back at him, at first glance, appeared to be himself, nothing special. Disappointment twinged in his heart. However, as Remus looked at the familiar features, he noticed changes.

For starters, the deep circles under his eyes has vanished completely. He looked fuller, healthier, with more colored skin as opposed to his customary paleness. The weariness of this Remus had seemed to vanish as if there had been no full moon three days ago.

Also, there was not a single scar on his arms or face, the scratch from his childhood was gone. He was changed and _normal..._

James clapped him on the shoulder, startling him. "Remus, we have to leave."

He almost refused to, wanting to yell at James for even suggesting it, but the thought was fleeting and he turned around, back to normal again. The others put away the heavy mirror and throw the cloak back over him.

"Let's go, we'll talk about it in the common room, alright?" said Sirius. They all murmured their agreements and headed toward the door.

Remus glanced back at the last second. He could have sworn he had seen a pair of bright blue eyes give him a wink just before the door shut.


End file.
